Contact making and breaking device



J. R. BOUTELL 1,772,572

CONTACT IIAKING AND BREAKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1925 Patented Aug. 12,1930 TPATENTOFFICE oni: B. 3011mm; inriwauxnn wrsconsm 1: ,eonracrMAKING Ann BREAKING nEvIc "Application filed August a,19'25.-ser1a1no.47,795.

It is an object ofithis invention to provide an improved andqsimplifiedform of contact making andbreaking device capable of handling heavycurrents such as used in spot 5 welding and the like machines.

' Another object of this invention resi'des in the provision of-a deviceof the character describedi'which will be'very efiicient in conistruction and which will quickly m'ake and e break the circuit tosubstantially eliminate destructive arcing forces.

I And a still furtherobjectof this invention resides in the provision ofan a improved and simplified .contactmaking and breaking device whichmay be mounted ona' spot welding or the like machineto be convenientlyoperated from a treadle or other operating member. l

With the above and other objects in view vwhich will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction,combination andarrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be'made as come within the scope of theclaims.

In the accompanying drawing, I have il-u lustrated one completeexampleof the physical embodiment ofmy invention constructed accordingto the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application ofthe principlesthereof, and in which: 7 Figure 1 is a side view, partlyin section and partly in elevation, illustrating a contact making andbreaking device embodying my invention, and I 7 V 1 l I Figure 2 is aview, partly in section and partly in elevation, taken through Figure 1on the plane of the line 2-2. 1

Referring now-more particularly to the accompanying drawing, in whichlike numerals designate like parts throughoutthe several views, thenumeral 5 designates a housing or casing, one side of which is open andadapted tobe normally closed bytairemovablecover 6' secured in positionby a screw or other fasteningsr'f. 'Journaled in the housing on ashaft8- is a rotatable actu ator 9 of disc shaperhaving a segmental p01tionthereofo cut awayto provide arecess 1Q in which the freeend 11 of-amovable-contact carrying lever 12' rides The end walls 13 and 14 of therecess 10 -formimpaot sur-; facesiadapted to strike-the free end 11 0fthe movable-contact, carrying member, -in the mannerhereinafterdescribed to engage and disengage a movable contact 15 fixed tothemember 12 by a screw or other fastening member 16 with a stationarycontact 17.

The movable contact15 has a socket terminal-18 electrica1ly connectedtherewith to receive one end of a conductor 19 included in the circuitthe device is adapted'to control and the conductor 20 of the circuitiselectrically connected with the stationary contact by a socketterminal 21 electrically connected therewith. Thelever 1-2 is'of'insu-.latin' theli ke, and its end portion 22 is pivoted on a shaft 23mounted in the housing, a stop 12 beingprovided to limitopeningmovementof the lever. The stationary contact is insulated fromthe housing by a base 24 of insulating material to which it isremovablyj'fsecured by a screw or' other mounting 25; o 1

Extended into the housing through a slot or opening 26 in one'end wallthereof is; an actuating lever 27 0f approximately angular shape whichis journally mounted adjacent its apex on a shaft 28 mounted in thehousing, 'The end portion 29 of the actuating lever disposed in thehousing is operatively connected with the actuator 9 in the manner a tobe hereinafter describedand the outer end is pivotally connectedtherewith, as at 32.

material such as fibre, b'akelite, or

Fixed to the movable contact carrying le ver 12 outwardly of its pivot23 is an arm 33 to which one end of a substantially V-shaped spring 34is pivotally connected, as at 35, the other end of the spring beingconnected with the shaft 28 preferably by being coiled therearound, asat 36. The spring 34 is constantly under compression and its point ofpivotal connection with the lever 33 is so d1ssed that when the contactcarrying member 12 is in full open position, the pivot point 35 is toone side of animaginaryline drawn through the axes of the shafts 23 and28and when. the member 12 is in contact making position the point 35 isto the other side of the line so that the spring '34 yieldably r'e tainsthe movable contact in either of its two positions.

The extreme inner end portion 29 ofthe actuating lever is enlarged andnotched or recessed, asat 37, to receive anac tuating pin38"conoentricallycarried by'the actuator 9, so that a pull on the link31 to raise the end-29 of the actuating lever, causes the stud 38 tobem'oved in a clockwise direction with reference to Figure l tu'rningthe actuator on its pivot in a corresponding direction. Thisrotation'of'the actuator stores energy within an "approximately v-shapedspring 39 havinga coilj40'formed atits apex and having one end pivotallyconnected with a stud 41 concentrically carri'ed'by the actuator and itsother end connected withga stud or rod 42 mounted in thehousingsubstantially direct- 1y above the shaft/8.

The stud 42 is so arranged that as the ac'tuator is rotated in aclockwise direction in the trated nianner described, energy isstoredwithin the spring39, the ends of which are compressed by reasonofthe stud 41 moving toward the rod 42. I As the stud 41'passesanimaginary line drawn through the stud 42 and shaftB, the energy storedinthe'spring releases, cause ing the impactsurface 13 to strike the freeend 11 of the member 12 with a hammer blow, moving it againstthe forceof the spring 34, the end of whichpasses beyond the dead center beforethe contacts are made to thus assist the force of the spring 39in makinga quick contact. a

The parts are then in the positions illusy dotted lines in Figure 1 andthe outer end portion 30 of the actuating lever is depressed so thatanupward movement of the link 31 causes the other'end of the notchorrecess 37 to engage the stud 38 and rotate the actuator in acounter-clockwise direction. Energy is again stored within the spring 39until thestud 41 passesthe imaginary line drawn through the shafts 8 and42 when the energy stored within the spring 39 is released causing theimpact surface 14' to strike the free end of the member 12 and quicklyseparate the contacts 15 and 17, the point of engagement of the springwith the arm 33 From theferegomg-descnptidh taken 1n connection with theaccompanying drawing it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the'artto which an invention of this character appertainsthat 1 provide avery simple and efiicient switch construction which will produces quickmakevand break in the circuit and one in which the contacts are springheld in either "open orclosed position to prevent their separation when-in-circuit making sition byjvibrations of the machine towluchthe'device 'is attached.

I claim: I V

"1. A 'de'vice' of the character described, comprisingia stationacontact, a movable contact engageable wit the stationary contact to makean electric circuit, means for yieldably retaining the *movable' contactin either circuit makingor breaking" position, substantially disc shapedactuating member having'a cut-away portion to provide twoimpact-surfaces, one-inn act surface being engageablewith the mova 'lecontact when in circuit breaking 'positionto move the same againstitsyielding means to circuitmaking position and the other impactsurfacebeing engageableiwith the movable contact when in circuit makingposition to move the same againstitsfyielding means 'to circuit breakingposition, and means operable-by the rotation of said member to storeenergy "within itselfwhichis released prior tothe 'enga meht of animpact surface with the mova le contact tothusstrike themovable contacta blowsuflicient to cause its quick movement.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a support, a lever'pivotally secured" to the support, a contact carried by the lever, asecond contact carried by the support and with which the first contactis enga'geable to make an electric circuit, anarm connected with" thelever, a substantially V- shaped spring having one end connected withsaid lever-arm and the other end with the su port, the point ofconnection between t e spring and arm moving to opposite sides ofanimaginary line drawn throughthe lever pivot and the point-ofconnectionof the spring with thesupport as the lever moves to either of its twolimits, whereby the spring yieldably-retains the lever in either of itstwo positions, and a; rotatable actuator having a recessin=which thefree end ofthe leverex- .3

tends so that rotation of the actuator in one direction causes one endwall of its recess to engage the lever and move it tocontact makingposition and rotation of the actuator in a reverse direction causestheother end wall of the recess to engage the free end. of the lever andmove it to circuit breaking'position. y r

3. A device of the character described, comprising a support, a leverpivotally secured to the support, a contact carried by the lever, asecond contact carried by the supn port and with which the first contactis engageable to make an electrical circuit, an arm connected withthelever, a substantially V- shaped spring having one end connected withsaid lever arm and the other end with the support, the point ofconnection between the spring and arm moving to opposite sides of animaginary line drawn through the lever pivot and the point of connectionof the spring with the support as the lever moves to either of its twolimits, whereby the spring yieldably retains the lever in either of itstwo positions, a rotatable actuator having a recess in which the freeend ofthe lever, extends so that rotation of the actuator in onedirection causes one end wall'of its recess to engage the lever and moveit to contact making position and rotation of the actuator in a reversedirection causesthe other end wall of the recess to engage the free endof the lever and move it to circuit breaking position, means forrotating the actuator, and a spring connected with the actuator and.adapted to have energy stored therein during the first portion oftherotation of the actuator in either direction, the energy being .releasedupon movementiof the actuator through a predetermined degree to'causethe same to strike the lever with a blow.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a stationary contact,a movable contact engageable with the stationary contact to close anelectric circuit, means for yieldably retainingthe movable contact ineither closed or open position, a substantially disc shaped actuatingmember 'rotatably mounted and having a segmental portion cut away toprovide two impact surfaces, one impact surface being engageable withthe movable contact when in circuit opening position to move the sameagainst its yieldable retaining means to circuit closing position andthe other impact surface being engageable with the movable contact whenin circuit closing position to'move the same against its yieldableretaining means to circuit openmg position, spring means for yieldablyretaining the actuating member in either of its positions, a studcarried by the actuating taining means to store energy therein whichenergy is released after a predetermined degree of rotation to snap theactuating mem-' ber to its opposite limit of movement and 1 with it themovable contact;

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN R. BOUTELL.

